Transgression in the Name of Religion – The Seventh Commandment

Transgression in the Name of Religion

The Seventh Commandment

Pagan practices must not inform true religion.

Leviticus 19:29

“Do not profane your daughter by making her a prostitute, lest the land fall into prostitution and the land become full of depravity.”

Prostitution was closely linked to idolatry in pagan practice. It was often the case that pagan centers of worship included male and female prostitutes, whose services, it would seem, were designed to “enhance” the “worship” experience and to enrich the coffers of the pagan priests.

Perhaps in pagan cultures a man who offered his daughter as a cult prostitute would be considered to be doing a good thing for the community—at least, the men might think so. But in Israel it was not to be so.

Transgression done in the name of religion soon spreads transgression and depravity throughout the culture. When, in the 19^th century, scholars of religion elevated rationalist and evolutionist principles above the plain reading of the text of Scripture as the key to right interpretation, they not only compromised true religion and undermined the authority of Scripture, but they also hastened the widespread adoption of such principles as normative in all aspects of life. Revelation was thus “gobbled up” (Schaeffer) by reason, and we are still living with the depraved after-effects of this situation.

We are now accepting registrations for the course, Spiritual Maturity 1: Revival. This free, six-session course by T. M. Moore allows you to study by yourself or with a mentor, and includes free resources from Patrick, Columbanus, Luther, and Edwards, among others. Visit The Ailbe Seminary for more information on this training opportunity.

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In the Gates is a devotional series on the Law of God by Rev. T.M. Moore, editor of the Worldview Church. He serves as dean of the Centurions Program of the Wilberforce Forum and principal of The Fellowship of Ailbe, a spiritual fellowship in the Celtic Christian tradition. He is the author or editor of twenty books, and has contributed chapters to four others. His essays, reviews, articles, papers, and poetry have appeared in dozens of national and international journals, and on a wide range of websites. His most recent books are The Ailbe Psalter and The Ground for Christian Ethics (Waxed Tablet).

Scripture quotations in this article are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version, (c) copyright 2001, 2007 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.